


Six feet under

by RedRaidingHood



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Tumblr Prompts, just a heads-up, some images might be considered gory/disturbing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-11
Updated: 2014-07-11
Packaged: 2018-02-08 09:45:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1936245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedRaidingHood/pseuds/RedRaidingHood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico is burying the fallen after the war when night falls. The ghosts are out to get him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Six feet under

Breaking the earth with a shovel wasn’t easy; the ground was still hard where feet had been trampling and bodies had been falling on it, while drenching the soil with blood. Nico wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, ignoring the putrid stench all around him. The corpses were rotting and maggots and crows were eating away on them, but that wasn’t the worst, that wasn’t what Nico tried his hardest to ignore. He was actually glad the vermin and decay was getting to the bodies. At least some of them were disfigured enough so Nico wouldn’t recognize the dead like that.

Too many had died. Too many demigods had lost their lives on this field and Nico hated it. He hated the fact that he’d come too late; if only he’d been stronger, could’ve gotten the statue to Camp earlier, but no, he had to travel in tiny steps, couldn’t make it in one big jump – he’d gotten to China the first time he’d tried shadowtravelling, for Gods sake! How hadn’t he been able to get them over the Atlantic now that he shadowtravelled all the time? It was pathetic. All those lives were lost because he’d been to weak.

Nico heaved the shovel out of the hole and grabbed the edge. When he got a firm grip, he pulled himself up to he surface again, sitting on his knees for a moment to get his breath back. None of the graves would be too shallow, he’d sworn that, but it was hard work and it wasn’t going smoothly at all; there were still so many bodies. This would be the last one for today though. He’d promised Jason to come back after a dozen - He shouldn’t have. There were still so many and a dozen graves a day just didn’t do.

Ruben. His name was Ruben, a legionary Nico had talked to at Camp Jupiter. He’d had trouble with his footwork, and had stumbled quite a lot while training. Now he was dead and it was Nico’s fault.

Ruben’s skin was grey and spongy already, but Nico had touched worse. He grabbed the dead wrist and slung the corpse over his shoulders, ignoring the bits that fell off. Something wet ran down his back, but it just didn’t matter anymore; he was drenched in sweat and blood and gore - appropriate for a son of Hades.

Ruben wasn’t all that heavy, and Nico was accustomed to letting a body down into its grave by now. One last time, he descended today, pulling two drachmas out of his pocket and crouched over the corpse.

“Sorry.” Nico mouthed, picking a crawling maggot from Ruben’s socket, smiling a little sadly. He put the drachmas over empty holes and stood up, wiping his hands on his dirty pants. This wasn’t happy work, wasn’t satisfying. There were still so many and he’d buried a dozen today, but there were still more, so much more. He’d promised Jason to come home after a dozen though. He’d promised.

Maybe he’d find Hazel tomorrow. Maybe she’d get a proper burial tomorrow. If only he’d gotten here sooner; Hazel could still be alive. She had been so happy on the Argo, Frank was doing her good and she’d gotten so powerful. She’d had potential, just like Bianca. In time she would have easily been stronger than him, but she shouldn’t live long enough to find out. And Nico hadn’t been there. He’d been to late.

When Nico put his shovel away for the last time today, he was exhausted. Burying a dozen a day took effort, but it wasn’t enough. All around these few graves he’d dug over the last months, lay so many dead still. So many heroes waiting for a proper burial, waiting for their fare to pay Charon, waiting for judgement and Elysium and Rebirth and Nico was responsible for all of that. He hadn’t been strong enough, so they had fallen. Seeing them off was the least he could do.

If only Hazel was here with him; she’d take his blistering hands and sing that song like she’d always done when they were still little kids and he’d fallen and scrapped his knees or something stupid. She had been beautiful and their father had been so proud of her and Nico had loved her so much. He regretted not appreciating all the time they had spent together more. But now it was time to come home. He’d promised Jason to come home after a dozen, although there were still so many corpses rotting away in the open air. Jason had said they’d be there tomorrow too, and he had been right. There were always more dead to bury the next day.

Nico cursed, suddenly aware of the dark that surrounded him. It had gotten night before he’d started his way back and now it was too late. The ghosts were already on the move, coming for him.

Nico threw the shovel to the ground, spinning around to face the direction of the Camp. He needed to be fast, needed to get behind the borders before the ghosts could get him. Cold sweat ran down his spine, this wasn’t looking good. Nico closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to calm his surprised heart down. It was late, the ghosts were coming out, but he still had a chance, he still could outrun them.

_You murdered us_.

Shit, they were close. Nico clenched his fists and started to run. There was no time to hope any more.

_Running again, are we?_

_Typical. Always running away._

He got to the foot of Half-Blood Hill, it wasn’t much further. Nico’s lungs hurt, breathing hurt, everything hurt, but he needed to keep going. Only up that hill, only through that door and then-

_Why did you kill me, Nico?_

His heart skipped a beat and an he stumbled, meeting the ground face-first. Nico cried out, small twigs scrapping his skin, his already raw hands starting to bleed. He had to stand up _now_ or they would be all over him. The trees seemed to close in, the Camp getting farther and farther away. Nico tried to stand, but his arms gave out under him, dirt and stones sticking to the wounds in his hands. He was almost glad to hear his blood rushing in his ears, could feel his heart pounding against his chest, but everything hurt too much. His lungs hurt, his head hurt, and most of all his heart. For all he cared, the ghosts could have him.

_Why Nico? I thought you loved me._

“I’m sorry,” he cried out, biting his lips. Getting up was impossible, but he had promised Jason to come home after a dozen. Nico’s breath rattled in his lungs, needed to be forced out. It was hard, harder than burying a dozen corpses a day, still he stood on shaking legs, a hand at his chest. The air was cold and every step hurt, but he had _promised_.

_Didn’t you promise me something too? Didn’t you promise to keep me safe?_

Bianca. Nico looked up, wide-eyed. There she was. He’d searched for her every day and there she was, standing between him and the Camp, her golden eyes watching him contemptuously.

“Bianca, I’m sorry.” Nico stumbled forward, his arms outstretched. He’d found her. He’d finally found her. He nearly smiled, so relieved to see her standing there, running a hand through her caramel curls, but they needed to get away. The ghosts were coming after him and she wouldn’t be safe. He couldn’t protect her.

_You said I wouldn’t need to worry._

Nico nodded, panting hard, a bloody hand tugging at his collar. “They’re coming, Bianca, they’re coming to get me.” Looking behind him, he could almost see them. They were so close; so, so close and they would separate him from Bianca again.

Bianca finally moved, spreading her arms as if to hug him. _Come here_.

Nico blinked, his gaze switching back and forth between his pursuers and his sister.

_Come here_ , she said again, finally smiling. He’d always loved her smile; everything had been better when she smiled, his world had been brighter, warmer. Nico gave in, staggered into her embrace and buried his head in her shoulder. She still smelled like he remembered her, like coal and earth and horses, but her dark skin was cold and her grip unrelenting.

Panic seized Nico’s heart. This had been a trick; again, they tricked him, and this time they got him. Bianca squeezed him tighter, pressing the last air out of his lungs. “Stop that,” Nico pleaded, tears running down his cheeks. This wasn’t Bianca, this was one of them. They got him. This time they got him, but he’d promised Jason to come home after a dozen.

_You killed us._

_You killed all of us. How is it fair you’re allowed to keep on living?_

“No, please! I’m sorry!” Nico’s bones cracked, his exhausted body resigning its struggle. “No, no, please!”

_You were never worthy of love._

_Doomed to be alone._

_You’re always hurting those you love, don’t you? You shouldn’t love anyone, they’ll only get hurt._

Nico gripped Bianca’s purple shirt, trying to push her away, but his bleeding hands were powerless. His head was getting fuzzy, his lungs aching for air. Not much longer and his legs would give way under him. Nico cried out, cried for help with the last bit of strength he had left.

 

“Ah, shit! Nico. Nico, shh, I’m here. I’m right here.” Jason cursed himself, hugging Nico close to his chest. He knew the routine, he knew Nico would curl up under the Statue and stare at his hands the whole day. He knew Nico wouldn’t be moving, wouldn’t perceive anything; but the moment he started to shake, started to look around, he needed to be picked up, otherwise he would end up screaming and crawling on the ground, crying for help. Jason’s heart broke everyday watching his friend’s mind die like this little by little. It was understandable; none of them had come back unscathed, but Nico… “Shit.”

Jason hugged him tighter, rocking back and forth, mumbling nonsense in Nico’s hair. Why, why had he been too late today? Why hadn’t he picked up the signs like always, had seen Nico shake? His heart constricted, the tears running down Nico’s cheeks were too much. Jason had been too late today, which was unforgivable. Nico had promised to come back home, he’d promised – and Jason feared nothing more than the day Nico wouldn’t come back, becoming an empty shell, his mind trapped in this dark place he went every day since Hazel died.

“You know,” Nico started, his voice breathless and small, but enough for Jason’s heart to do a small jump, relief flooding through him. “They should call _you_ the Ghost King.”

“Nico! Oh, thank the Gods.” Jason grinned, running a hand through Nico’s hair. The younger leaned into the touch, humming contentedly, savouring the warmth of Jason’s embrace. He was warm and smelled good and nothing hurt anymore. He’d come home like he promised. They had almost gotten him today, but he was home now. Nico smiled, a little forced, but thankful still. “They should call you the Ghost King, because in your presence, the ghosts remain silent.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Feel free to comment and/or criticize <3


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